Power Electronics Handbook, 4th Edition

21

Electronic Ballasts

Jose Marcos Alonso    University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

Abstract

Electronic ballasts, also called solid-state ballasts, are those power electronic converters used to supply discharge lamps. The modern age of electronic ballasts began with the introduction of power bipolar transistors with low storage time, allowing to supply fluorescent lamps at frequencies of several kilohertz and increasing lamp luminous efficacy by operating at these high frequencies. Later, electronic ballasts became very popular with the development of low-cost power MOSFETs, with unique features that make them very attractive to implement solid-state ballasts. The main benefits of electronic ballasts are the increase in the lamp and ballast ...